


Ice and Fire

by runtheduels



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-03-05 23:16:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18838789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runtheduels/pseuds/runtheduels
Summary: A cold Merlin seeks refuge in Arthur's bedchambers.





	Ice and Fire

Arthur yawned and stretched his arms out, relaxing the tensed muscles of his back. He tugged off his shirt, throwing it off to the side, and fell back on the bed, groaning. It had been an arduous day of training, and the blizzard outside was not helping. It had been nearly impossible to even move with the icy armor against his skin, and he had wanted nothing more than to return to the warm castle and curl up in bed. Thankfully, Merlin had stopped by earlier and started the fire in his room. He was about to slide under the covers when a knock sounded from his door.

“Arthur?” a meek voice came.

The king sat up, putting his arms behind his head. “Come in,” he said slowly, skeptically, nearly certain that Merlin was not stopping by to do chores at this time of the night.

The door opened and Arthur’s manservant tiptoed in, nose bright red and teeth chattering. His neckerchief was pulled up over his chin, and a thin shawl rested on his shoulders. “S-Sorry to intrude, sire.”

“What is it?” He would have expected Merlin to be drenched in snow from the way he was shivering, but his clothes were completely dry.

“Gaius is t-treating some contagious patients, so he asked me t-to stay away so I d-didn’t fall ill.”

“Oh? Has he not done this before?”

“He has, s-sire,” he began to explain, teeth still clattering. Arthur rolled his eyes and motioned for Merlin to come closer to the heat of the fireplace. At feeling the rush of warmth, Merlin let out a grateful sigh. “I usually just stay in the hall, but this is Camelot’s coldest winter, and it is too chilly outside of the rooms.”

“So you want to stay here.”

Merlin nodded sheepishly.

Arthur lifted an eyebrow. “No. Get out.” The sheer look of horror that crossed Merlin’s face was enough to make the king burst into laughter. “Bloody hell, Merlin, I’m joking.”

“Oh, good.” Merlin smiled but continued to stand by the fireplace, tapping his foot awkwardly.

Arthur waited expectantly, but when it became clear that Merlin was going to stand there the entire night like an idiot, he broke the silence, saying, “What are you even wearing—a shawl? Go fetch yourself a blanket.”

Peering at him nervously, Merlin asked, “Really? I can?”

Arthur rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Yes, _Merlin_ , I just said you can. Why are you being so damn timid?”

Merlin shrugged. “It’s cold. I can’t think straight.”

“Well, take that frozen behind of yours and stick it in my bed so we can at least have a decent conversation.”

Seeming to choke on his spit, Merlin sputtered, “Me? On a bed with you?”

“Would you prefer to sleep on the floor all night?”

Merlin shook his head and gingerly sat down on the other side of the bed, tossing the flimsy shawl on the ground beside him. “I’m just saying—last time I suggested sharing a living space, you laughed in my face.”

“And now I’ve changed my mind. Don’t make me reconsider.”

“I am most grateful, sire,” he acquiesced half-sarcastically, swinging his legs onto the bed and pulling the covers up to his nose.

Arthur eyed the shivering man curiously. The king had fought in icy chainmail without expressing a single complaint, yet Merlin was practically carrying a snowstorm on his shoulders without even stepping outside. In times like this, he truly worried about Merlin. He tried not to, but with Merlin’s endless trembling and flushed cheeks and fragile frame, Arthur couldn’t ignore the way his heart was clenching.

“Gods, Merlin,” he finally said, pulling his manservant into his broad torso. He swore that he could feel every bone in Merlin's thin body, and made a mental note to tell Gaius to feed him more. Arthur couldn't fathom how this clumsy, tiny, timid manservant had survived up to this point, even occasionally holding his own in battles, but the fact that Merlin was still with him filled his chest with an indescribable warmth.

As he was pulled in, Merlin squeaked, “Sire?”

“What?” Arthur responded casually.

“I appreciate your concern, but this is hardly necessary…”

“You are cold, yes?”

“I… yes.”

“And I’m warm?”

A pause. “You are.”

“So this is necessary, is it not?”

After a moment, Merlin pressed himself into Arthur in response.

“Come, now, this is hardly different from what happened in Nemeth.” Arthur’s words were more for himself than for Merlin, because, honestly, he enjoyed holding Merlin like this, and he may have even found the servant to be—god forbid— _cute_. And he needed to shut down that train of thought before it went farther than it should.

“Of course,” Merlin mumbled.

It could only ever be this, no matter how much Arthur might want it to be more. So he simply let Merlin lean into his chest, and held him even tighter.

After a few minutes had passed, Arthur reluctantly released his grip. Merlin looked up at him with wide eyes, his breath coming hot through parted lips. Their faces were impossibly close, and Merlin's cheeks were flushed as he stared with a nervous but hopeful look, and Arthur needed to push Merlin away before he did something stupid.

“Merlin, I—” And then Merlin’s lips were on his, in possibly the most tender kiss he had ever experienced. No tongue, no urgency, just the soft feel of the smaller man's lips pressed to his own. Arthur kissed back no more demandingly, resting one hand on the small of Merlin's back and the other on his shoulder. Merlin's lips were cold against his, but they soon warmed up, and Merlin drew back.

Arthur stared, suddenly unsure of what to think other than that Merlin was so _damn_ adorable when he was looking up at Arthur through his eyelashes, his shoulders scrunched up and a tiny smile on his face.

The soft smile morphed into a sheepish grin as Merlin said, “My lips were chilly.”

Arthur let out a breathy laugh. “I suppose that was a one-time thing, then.”

Merlin ran the back of his fingers along Arthur's cheek and murmured, “No. Of course not.”

“Good, because I’m not done with you yet.” Arthur surged forward to meet Merlin’s lips in another kiss, full of the words they had left unspoken for years.


End file.
